Others say the story, which referenced four named sources (former
classmates of Romney), paints a disturbing portrait of the
presumptive Republican presidential nominee, at least during his
teenage years.

Either way, the story brings up the ever-present question -- why
do people bully?

"It provides these kids with a sense of power," said Catherine
Bradshaw, a developmental psychologist who studies bullying at
the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health in
Baltimore. "It's a way of pulling your core group closer and
putting someone else out of it."

"The simple reason is it shows that they have power over others,"
agreed Marlene Snyder, Development Director for the Olweus
Bullying Prevention Program in the United States, based in
Clemson, S.C. "The reason that they do it repeatedly is that they
are getting away with it. Nobody is calling them on their bad
behavior. When they aren't called on it they think, 'Well, it
must be O.K.'"

This power brings popularity and high social status for bullies,
Bradshaw said. "But they're also perceived as disliked."

Evidence has shown that bullies often suffer from social and
emotional problems, she added. At the same time, "one of the big
myths is that bullies bully because they feel bad about
themselves," Snyder said. "The research consistently shows that
they have average or above average self-esteem."

"For the longest time we thought for sure that these ringleader
bullies were socially rejected, that there was no way that you
could establish dominance and control by humiliating other kids
or tormenting them," said bullying expert Dorothy Espelage, a
psychologist at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
"But now we've shown that there is a peer socialization process
-- that bullies tend to have more friends."

Indeed, experts agree that peer influence is crucial in
accounting for bullying. "If your peer group says that pushing
and shoving and spitting on people or spreading lies is O.K.,
even though you may have been taught differently in your home,
you lose your moral compass," Snyder said.

But researchers also emphasize that parents play a role. "If
parents are modeling aggression, the kids might learn that,"
Bradshaw said. "The things they say to their kids about how to
handle conflict and the way they handle conflict, are important."

"The reality is we're not talking to kids early enough and long
enough about bullying and healthy relationships," Espelage said.

"As you age, you understand the consequences of your behavior,"
she added. "I don't think high-schoolers understand that they can
be prosecuted."

Snyder emphasized that the definition of bullying is important:
"It is not just kids being kids," she said. "A person who bullies
intentionally picks out someone that they know is weaker than
themselves so that they can intimidate, harass or humiliate them
to do their bidding. It is a misuse of their power. This behavior
is usually repeated and of course this power differential is
there."

"It's not just a conflict," she said. "In a conflict the kids are
of equal power. They are still supported by their friends. It's
important to understand that bullying is abuse."

This is an update of a piece originally written by Jessica
Marshall, which can be read here.